But Then I Came Back

Monday, 29 May 2017

Estelle Laure recently published her second book, But Then I Came Back, earlier in April this year. After reading her debut novel This Raging Light in 2016 - which I adored with every fibre of my being - I was really excited to read this.

Estelle Laure's second novella is about Eden. After waking up from a coma, she can't shake off the feeling that she has seen a part of the afterlife - if such a thing exists. Eden struggles to adjust to the world around her throughout her recovery, but when she stumbles across a coma patient named Jaz, Eden is convinced she is able to help wake her up. With the help of Joe, Jaz's only friend, Eden starts to open up to him about what she saw whilst unconscious - and together, they embark on a complex, emotional journey to bring Jaz back from the depths of the unknown.

Favourite quotes:

'Time served on planet earth is yours to use as you see fit. It keeps spinning, and just because someone's life ends or pauses doesn't mean we have to do the same.'

Favourite character:

Just like in This Raging Light, Eden continued to be my favourite character, because she didn't just act as if life was normal after being hospitalised for a month. She found it hard to adjust to the changes that occurred during her absence, yet despite this, still mustered up the courage to battle her demons and insecurities head on.

3 words to describe the book:

Short, beautiful, honest.Rating:

✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮

Although I admittedly didn't enjoy the plot of this book as much as This Raging Light, it's one I'd still recommend to those looking for a quick, poignant young adult read. The story was beautifully written, and once again, Estelle Laure proved that she has a gift when it comes to writing.

Her books are what I call hidden gems, and I believe that they deserve so much more love and attention in the book community. They're deeply poetic, and written in a way that makes me think that if words sounded like music, Estelle Laure's stories would be as enchanting as a Disney song.